Hey just like to know what general parts people have in there engine...which ones are best for these cars. Ive got bosch platinum 4+ spark plugs, a bosch Oxygen sensor, i use mostly Valvoline oil, always use premium gas...

well speedy...as a shop manager..i can tell you that we normally attempt to use same brand and type of plugs with each vehicle...Autolite with Ford, Champion with Mopar, AC with GM..and we also try to use the same type...platinum only if its called for as original equipment.....in certain engines, cars not originally equipped with platinums that are running them tend to sometimes have ignition coil and module failures...due to the fact that it takes more energy to fire a platinum plug..due to different construction and resistance thru the plug....some people have no problems with them, but as a business person, i always stress to a customer to use what the factory intended....we use Mobil oil products, which have proven themselves to be an excellent product, both in the standard as well as synthetic line.....we install hastings filters, but filters by Wix and Baldwin are also good...i tend to stay away from Fram products...due to the fact that they make two different quality of products, and if youre shopping at your local Wal Mart..youre buying the cheaper version, which means less protection....also, cheaper does not make better when it comes to plug wires, or any other parts..granted, you MAY spend more at an auto parts store..BUT you WILL find better quality there than at a Wal Mart, Sams Club, or other type of store....also, dont let marketing gimmicks and sales people push you into something you dont REALLY need....as i said...youre car didnt come with the platinums, i dont believe....and doesnt exactly NEED em...they do have their good points, more longevity, etc..but the downside is that once people install em, they tend to forget about em for too long, and they end up seizing in the heads, causing MAJOR issues on the newer cars....just my .02 cents for ya

My 1988 Ciera SC has the 3.8L also and i just replaced my plugs in the caR..

wanna know what type i put in her??/

AC-DELCO

Also the only grade of gas this car really needs is 87 octane..

if your putting premium in it then your just throwing your money away...

I woulnd't go any higher then maybe 89 .

but it's your car and your money,i hope, so do what you like
your getting nothing from the higher octane and actually the engine runs at it's best when it has an ocassional knock...

I've replaced spark plugs in all of my cars, I've also only owned GM products, except for the "devil-child". I always bought those cheap AC-Delco plugs for it, and they NEVER gave me a problem, or prompted me to think twice about more expensive plugs.

EXCEPT in the devil-child, which is what I called my Ford Probe Turbo (i replaced everything in that car in a 1 1/2 year period, and I mean EVERYTHING). I bought AC Delco plugs for it, they were listed for that make and model, and they were cheap. But after that, the car ran like shit. I replaced wires, cap, rotor.... EVERYTHING, till I replaced the plugs with Bosch platinum, and it ran beutiful after that.... STRANGE!!!

I've had good luck with AC plugs... they're all I use.

I worked at an Olds / Pontiac dealership part time back in high school and my boss (the service manager) told me you don't have to spend a fortune on fancy oil... as long as it's the correct viscosity and you keep it clean that's all that REALLY matters. Yes, some oils have different detergents or whatever but it's not going to make a big difference in how your car runs.

Hey Stroker, what’s the word on all this oil for high mileage engines that been coming out? E.x. Valvoline Max Life.... I've noticed that it's pretty expensive stuff, is it worth it?

well 73,
i havent had anyone in thats specifically asked for it..or put it in for anyone..we normally use standard mobil 1, unless someone specifically asks for synthetic...heres a lil tip....they sell full synthetic..synthetic blend, and standard oils...instead of paying premium price for the synthetic blend...buy one quart of full synthetic, and mix it with your regular oil...most 3.8's take 4.5 quarts...so you'd just replace one quart with synthetic....also, its not recommended to use full synthetic in higher mileage engines, due to the fact that its basically TOO slick..and may cause smoking and oil consumption...same thing with slick 50 treatment, and similar products...theyre tailored to be used with engines under 50,000 miles....when the engine tends to get its most breakin wear...if its had synthetic since new..its not so much an issue, because the engine tends to " wear" to the synthetic..vs wearing with higher friction using standard oil..THEN switching to synthetic...

i always use Castrol Syntec 10W30..full synthetic..
all 4 1/2 quarts.
it doesn't smoke or burn oil..not a drop..
she has 102,000 miles.

ya since the car was bought in 1985, its gotten nothing but premium, but ya i actually find an advantage in premium, gas mileage, burns cleaner, runs smoother, ive noticed people who use regular gas have noisey engines, mines very quiet. It has a stable idle around 600-650rpm, thats after the bosch platinum 4+ sparks. I opened up the engine about 2 months ago, to change all the gaskets, and everything inside was cleannnn! oh ya i put in slick 50 for older engines, it works great to, it coats metal surfaces, and when i opened the engine i actually saw that coating! but ya, im happy with it, i'll get a pic of it up soon enough for ya all.

just regular AC Delco plugs and wires for me. AC Delco oil filters for my car too because for some reason my car knocks at every start up with Filter Pro filters, very strange.

as far as customers cars at work, unless they are pinching pennies, we try to push the premium stuff, like AC Delco ignition parts and Motorcraft. have found that even KEM's premium line sometimes ends up coming back. Standard and Borg Warner ignition parts are just garbage. Standard wire sets are always at least 6 inches too long. KEM works, but doesn't fit as well at AC Delco.

as far as filters go, GROUP 7 or Filter Pro for oil filters, whatever cheap brand the parts store has for fuel filters (all i can get is either Wix or Hastings at a decent price and the quality is really going down, so the cheap filter is a less money and the same quality) and air filters, GROUP 7.

oil, usually Shell, we get it in 55 gallon drums, usually middle of the pack regarding price.
IMO, all these fancy synthetics aren't worth it, i agree with 73 as long as you keep it clean it should be ok.

gas, don't use premium when you don't have to, waste of money and actually it lessens mileage because premium is harder to burn than regular to prevent predetonation (pinging) in high compression engines.

Yeah, I wasnt too impressed with my last premium tank... I noticed NOTHING different at all. And I did not mix, I filled from fumes to full with premium 91 octane.

I use AC-DELCO cause if it was good enough for the car 19 years ago, its good now. For oil it uses Valvoline, and it gets 87 or 89 gas.

I use Autolite #75 plugs in my 455. They've been really great. I don't know that I buy into the whole multiple electrode gimic thats been popular lately.
To fire the plugs I'm using a Crane HI-6 CD ignition with rev-limiter, Mallory Unilite distributor, Crane LX-92 race coil, and Taylor 8mm plug wires.

So far this has been a very reliable system.

For oil I was running Mobile 1 full synthetic but switched back to conventional oil. If you have a leak, that synthetic oil will find it. LOL

For fuel I run Sunoco 93 octane.

I always use Castrol Syntec and an AC-Delco filter.
AC Delco plugs and just recently installed Accel 8mm super stock spiral core wires.

Thats one clean engine bay!!